GDC 2013: MOGA Introduces Their Pro Controller

MOGA released its Android-compatible game controller late last year, featuring a small portable size and phone clip that could accommodate devices up to the Galaxy Note 2 in landscape height. Now, they’re releasing a new controller model that they hope will appeal to hardcore gamers on Android. The MOGA Pro is a Bluetooth gamepad with a button layout similar to an Xbox 360 controller – a diamond of face buttons, two bumpers, two triggers, two joysticks, and a d-pad.

Where gamers and Android users should care is that the controller is based off of the Fus1on Tournament Controller design, which the company claims is used by professional gamers worldwide in high-stakes competitions. Even for the mediocre gamer, this controller will do well – the joysticks had a great resistance to them, the triggers felt great to use as I killed zombies in Dead Trigger, and it’s increidbly ergonomically-friendly. There’s a rubber finish to where the player grabs the controller that makes it feel comfortable, and the controller has enough weight to it so that even a Galaxy Note 2 won’t make it feel lopsided. It also comes with a stand for the tablet devices that will work with it.

There are over 50 games that support the MOGA controllers through the company’s SDK, which they claim is the best way to implement controls as developers can easily tweak the controls for their button layout and joysticks. But with the wealth of Android games that support gamepads, often in secret, the MOGA Pro will still work with them, as an HID mode that works theoretically the same as when an Xbox controller is plugged in is also available through a switch on the controller.

The MOGA Pivot app is available to see which games are available on Google Play that support MOGA controls; this isn’t a separate store, but just a hub for seeing which games support the controls for Google Play. Plans are in the works over the long term to bring it to Amazon Appstore and Kindle Fire HD as well.

The MOGA Pro will be made available in mid-April, and is available at retail in many places such as Toys R Us and all major cell phone carriers.

Carter Dotson

Carter Dotson, editor of Android Rundown, has been covering Android since late 2010, and the mobile industry as a whole since 2009. Originally from Texas, he has recently moved to Chicago. He loves both iOS and Android for what they are - we can all get along!